Reason for entering race/running for reelection: “I have an innate interest in education, served on another school board. My entire life devoted to education and I hope to be elected to offer my services to the community.”

Biggest issue of the campaign: “Since the indictment of the mayor, the school board has been under a cloud. That could is going to remain until we get to the bottom of the issue.”

Goal to accomplish if elected: “We want to know that money is not wasted in the community and being spent in the schools.”

How they would accomplish that goal: “More discussion should be made on class sizes, instruction and improvement of facilities.”

Jennifer Barnock Riddell

Time of residence: Hamilton native

Profession: teacher and math supervisor

Incumbent/have run before: first time running

Reason for entering race/running for reelection: “I saw the open seat this past winter and started to seriously consider offering my years of experience as service to Hamilton as a community member and a mom of three kids.”

Biggest issue of the campaign: “Our whole campaign has been about fighting connections and what has happened for way too long is the connections between the board and vendors. And the lack of communication and transparency with the whole community enabled the wrong doings to happen.”

Goal to accomplish if elected: “Hamilton shouldn’t be known for the news on the front page of the paper. We’ve got great kids and great educators and a system that can work when the correct attention is there.”

How they would accomplish that goal: “That’s where the communication and having your own thoughts and being your own person, actually asking questions and having conversations before you vote.”

Vincent McKelvey

Time of residence: Hamilton resident since 1971

Profession: retired investigator at the Office of the Attorney General

Incumbent/have run before: First time running

Reason for entering race/running for reelection: Said he could not run for board until after his retirement. “If you’re going to be critic of the things going on, you should get in there and do something about it.”

Biggest issue of the campaign: “It’s time bring some common sense to the board: time to bring some light, some honesty and some basic transparency.”

Goal to accomplish if elected: “Let the truth come forward and make the taxpayers part of the conversation.”

How they would accomplish that goal: “The public should be allowed to ask and get answers from the questions they have.”

Anthony G. Celentano

Time of residence: Resident for more than 40 years

Profession: Employee of the Hamilton Township’s Residency office

Incumbent/have run before: First served on the board in the 1980s

Reason for entering race/running for reelection: “What i see right now is unprofessional conduct on the board. It’s juvenile, and it just exacerbates the fact they are immature individual up there spending taxpayer money.”

Biggest issue of the campaign:

Goal to accomplish if elected: “I want bring a tech initiative to the district.”

How they would accomplish that goal: “You need to consider a lot of the tech that is available, state of the art technology and bring it to the attention of whomever, the superintendent, the board or the community, to get it done. If you’re interested, you’re moving forward, that’s a start.”

Greg Schultz

Time of residence: 12-year resident of Hamilton

Profession: Facilities manager

Incumbent/have run before: first time running

Reason for entering race/running for reelection: “I hear parents’ aggravation and I see something I want to change in the board.”

Biggest issue of the campaign: “There’s no checks and balances, there is no transparency with the current board.”

Goal to accomplish if elected: Board practices such as vague minutes, nonexistent answers and “executive board sessions that go on way too long; those things need to stop.”

How they would accomplish that goal: Bring the board website up-to-date, end the practice of mid-meeting executive sessions and post agendas online sooner.

George W. Fisher

Time of residence: 52-year resident

Profession: Attorney

Incumbent/have run before: three-time candidate

Reason for entering race/running for reelection: “I’m trying to inform the public of the true status of the district and the educational quality in the district.”

Biggest issue of the campaign: “In the past senior administration and board members have been focused on things other than education.”

Goal to accomplish if elected: “Any and all campaigns are focused on improving education, but any improvement in education has to be preceded by a change of focus of the board.”

How they would accomplish that goal: “I want to make sure that the board is educated on what its role is and what its limitations are.”

Richard J. Kanka

Time of residence: Hamilton native

Profession: Works for his foundation

Incumbent/have run before: Incumbent

Reason for entering race/running for reelection: “Trying to get things moving in the proper direction that I thought as an individual they should go.”

Goal to accomplish if elected: Improve students’ education and the district’s performance as a whole.

How they would accomplish that goal: “We’re all responsible but you have to listen to the people that have their strengths. Thats why we all have committees.”

Eric W. Hamilton

Time of residence: More than 30 years

Profession: Football coach at The College of New Jersey

Incumbent/have run before: Incumbent

Reason for entering race/running for reelection: “The same reason I got involved in other activities, to give something back to the community.”

Biggest issue of the campaign: “We have to take a hard look at what we’re doing and ask ‘Are we doing everything that we could or should be doing to prepare students to do what they need once they leave here?”

Goal to accomplish if elected: “We will have some opportunities to advance our programs, expose our staff and students to new ideas.”

How they would accomplish that goal: Partnership with higher education to better the district and its students — possibly with TCNJ

Candidates for the one year seat:

Dina Thornton

Time of residence: 7-year resident

Profession:

Incumbent/have run before: first-time candidate

Reason for entering race/running for reelection: “I just want to make a diff in our kids’ schools. It just seems like its time for just your average person to step in.”

Biggest issue of the campaign: “Right now the residents of Hamilton Township need and deserve to have trust in the Hamilton school board.”

Goal to accomplish if elected: “Try to bring ham twp up as far as technology, technology lacking in the district and that needs to be brought up as well. Studies have shown that children learn better with smaller class sizes.”

How they would accomplish that goal: “More money needs to be allocated to those things.”

Timothy L. Bauersachs

Time of residence: Hamilton native

Profession: Manager at a family store

Incumbent/have run before: first-time candidate

Reason for entering race/running for reelection: “My main reason for running is i want to make the ham pub schools the best they can be. We need to affect positive change and I think I could bring a lot ot the table to do that.”

Biggest issue of the campaign: Scandal involving the federal corruption case against Mayor John Bencivengo.

Goal to accomplish if elected: “I focus on three things usually: transparency, accountability and checks and balances.”

How they would accomplish that goal: Encourage public answers to the public’s questions, investigate past board practices and engage with the public on financial decisions.